Our Instagram – Bus Life | Tales From The Wild

Web
Analytics Made Easy - StatCounter

Life is a fascinating journey full of unexpected t

Life is a fascinating journey full of unexpected twists and turns. After hiding out in WA for much of 2021, we are currently on a 3600km drive across Australia in our bus to the NT (via the Nullarbor). I have accepted an awesome job opportunity in the national park at Uluru. It will mean some big changes for our family but everyone is super excited and looking forward to this next chapter of our lives.

We'll be taking a break from bus life and moving into a house at Mutitjulu. After several years living in a tiny space, we are ALL looking forward to living in a house! The boys will be going to school and Sam will continue to work remotely from home. After five years of being the stay-at-home Dad (and home school teacher for the past couple of years), I've got mixed feelings about returning to the workforce. It's been a privilege and a joy to be able to spend so much time with our boys each day and I'll miss it dearly. But I'm also thrilled to be returning to ranger work and to have the opportunity to work alongside Anangu again at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.

We're currently on the Stuart Highway and waiting for the flooded section near Glendambo to reopen this week. Then it's onwards we go to Uluru!

🙂 Keiran

#buslife #travelwithkids #adventure #roadtrip #australia

Hello world. It's been a while since we posted any

Hello world. It's been a while since we posted anything on this account. It's now 2 years and 3 months since we embarked upon our travels in Bronte the bus. We are still hiding out in Western Australia at the moment and have spent the past month or two hanging out around Esperance and Condingup. What a spectacular piece of coastline! We are now headed inland for a look around but stay tuned for more pics from our Esperance adventures! Hope you are all well. 🙂 Keiran

#esperance #buslife #travel #westernaustralia #seeaustralia #rvlife #vanlife #travelaustralia #kepakurl #busconversion #ontheroad

Welcome to Minhthukundi (Hamersley Gorge) and argu

Welcome to Minhthukundi (Hamersley Gorge) and arguably the most spectacular waterfall and spa pool in @australia. This is my entry in the @sonyalpha.anz photography competition for today.

📍 Minhthukundi (Karijini National Park).
This is Banjima, Yinhawangka and Kurrama Country. Thank you for sharing and caring for this beautiful place.

#sony12daysoflenses12 #australiasnorthwest #karijini #wanderoutyonder #thisiswa #seeaustralia #landscape #abcmyphoto

One of the giant tingle trees on the Ancient Empir

One of the giant tingle trees on the Ancient Empire walk in Walpole-Nornalup National Park. We loved exploring the south-west of @westernaustralia!

#valleyofthegiants #boranup #australiassouthwest #westernaustralia #wanderoutyonder #family #homeschool #travelwithkids

Sunrise delight and Bronte the bus in Tjoritja (We

Sunrise delight and Bronte the bus in Tjoritja (West MacDonnell Ranges) earlier this year. This is Arrernte country. We spent a few days exploring the spectacular gorges, waterholes, ochre pits and ancient mountains that lie west of Mparntwe (Alice Springs). And we barely scratched the surface. This is one place that I love to return to in the future. One day I would even like to tackle the iconic Larapinta Trail (an extended walking trail that covers 223km between Alice Springs and Mt Sonder). ~ Keiran.

#seeaustralia #ntaustralia #wildflowers #tjoritja #westmacdonnellranges #alicesprings #arrernte #outback #buslife #skoolie #skoolieconversion #busconversion #rv #vanlife #nomads #bus

Exploring the spectacular landscapes of Karijini i

Exploring the spectacular landscapes of Karijini in Bronte the bus recently.

📍 Karijini National Park. This is Banjima, Yinhawangka and Kurrama Country. Thank you for sharing and caring for this beautiful place.

#wanderoutyonder #thisiswa #seeaustralia #pilbara #karijini #natgeoyourshot #nature #landscape #outback #buslife
#skoolie #skoolieconversion #abcmyphoto #busconversion

Today we clock up two years travelling in the bus!

Today we clock up two years travelling in the bus!
.
When we took the leap four+ years ago, we didn't quite know how we'd make it work. Our actual blood, sweat and tears went into building Bronte, our full time home for almost three years now.
.
The bus has given us an anywhere/everywhere home, enabling us to spend time in the most spectacular wild places, going at our own pace, fully ☀️ powered. We've been rained in at Birdsville, done a slow crawl along the Oodnadatta, and made 189 point turns to extract ourselves from tiny carparks. We've spent nights in the middle of red pindan dunes, on the edge of the great salt lake Kati Thanda, and atop windswept jump-ups on gibber plains. We've even woken to find the incoming tide had crept under the bus!
.
Kakadu, Uluru-Kata Tjuta, Ningaloo, Purnululu, Karijini, Nitmiluk and Litchfield, Ikara-Flinders Ranges, Carnarvon Gorge, Port Campbell, the Coorong, the Daintree: it's impossible to convey the significance of all this. We've witnessed rock art, petroglyphs, burial crypts, massacre sites, middens, wells, grinding stones, complex cultural systems, astounding land and seascapes, dinosaur footprints, ancient coral reef and inland seabed, crocodiles, sharks, turtles and reef fish, emu chicks and cassowaries, spinifex hopping mice, rock wallabies. And the dark emu, a beacon of other lives beyond the campfire. If all this wasn't a constellation of life in our very hands, the bus meant we could live at my (Sam) parents' place for three months before my Dad died.
.
Of course, we've also witnessed all the ways in which Country has, and continues to be, destroyed. I'm not sure which is more confronting: gas and coal fired power plants on top of Aboriginal heritage sites, the destruction wrought by industrial agriculture, or the disrespect of white colonisation and the way we generally treat Country.
.
We've had our share of showstoppers, setting off at the first flush of pandemic. We rented an outback homestead for a stint, re-routed our path several times, and had countless delays, including a wheel flying off our trailer on the highway just this week. 😬
.
*Continued in comments*

Spot Bronte the bus! Greetings from Coral Bay and

Spot Bronte the bus! Greetings from Coral Bay and the beautiful Ningaloo coastline. This is our new favourite place to spend the day.

After a quick 500km round trip to Carnarvon for more car repairs (hopefully sorted now) and a catch-up with some old friends from my Uluru days (thanks so much Pete and Jen!), we're back at Coral Bay and exploring this incredible coastline.

This is Baiyungu Country.

#buslife #nomads #busconversion #skoolie #skoolieconversion #rvlife #rv #vanlife #ningaloo #coralbay #wanderoutyonder #thisiswa #australiascoralcoast #seeaustralia

Simple sunset views from inside Bronte the bus. Du

Simple sunset views from inside Bronte the bus. During our extended stay in Karratha (mechanical issues with our car) we would often drive the bus down to Dampier and spend the day relaxing by the beach. There is a terrific playground for the kids in Dampier and you can swim at the beach (if you don't mind sharing the space with stingrays 🙂). At the end of the day, we'd pack up and head out of town to camp for the night.

#buslife #dampier #karratha #travelwithkids #busconversion #skoolie #skoolieconversion #rv #rvlife #vanlife

Late afternoon light at Murujuga National Park, Ka

Late afternoon light at Murujuga National Park, Karratha. Murujuga is home to one of the world's largest collections of rock art and petroglyphs, documenting at least 47,000 years of occupation by Ngarda-Ngarli (Aboriginal people) in this area.

#buslife #wanderoutyonder #karratha #murujuga #exploreaustralia #travelaustralia #vanlife #rvlife #skoolie #skoolieconversion #australia #thisiswa

On the road to Karijini recently. The colours and

On the road to Karijini recently. The colours and landscapes of the Pilbara are so spectacular.

#ontheroad #pilbara #westernaustralia #thisiswa #karijini #seeaustralia #buslife #travelaustralia #exploreaustralia #travel #highway #outback

Free camping in the middle of nowhere (The Pilbara

Free camping in the middle of nowhere (The Pilbara). Our favourite kind of campsite!

#buslife #busconversion #skoolie #skoolieconversion #travelaustralia #australia #camping #vanlife #rvlife

Front door views at Hearson's Cove recently. This

Front door views at Hearson's Cove recently. This was one of favourite places to visit during our extended stay in Karratha. That's part of our herb garden growing happily in the entry area. We had to restart our plant collection a couple of months ago, after crossing the border into WA. In preparation for the border crossing, we gifted our previous collection of house plants and herbs to a lovely lady in Katherine, NT.

#buslife #busconversion #skoolie #skoolieconversion #vanlife #nomads

We've been in a bit of a funk lately and I haven't

We've been in a bit of a funk lately and I haven't posted anything on here for quite a while. Full-time travelling on a tight budget with a young family is a lot of hard work and the last couple of months have certainly been challenging. Don't get me wrong, we are so very grateful for the experience and lucky to be travelling during these difficult times. We've also visited some amazing places in recent months. But it's been tough going.

We've been stuck in a few towns like Broome and Karratha for medical appointments (broken arm and chipped tooth for youngest son, surgical mole removals with a good result for Sam) and mechanical issues (seven weeks without a car and over six grand spent on major steering and suspension problems). With most caravan parks full to overflowing, unable to fit 19 metres of bus and trailer or just way too expensive for us, and both towns actively enforcing a 'no free camping policy' within their shires, it feels like we've been constantly on the run for the past couple of months!

Whilst we are 'free camping ninjas' these days, it's hard work and involves packing down several times a day and constantly moving around to avoid detection or complaints. It ain't so easy to hide a big bus! And we've definitely met a few council rangers in both places! With no car for seven weeks, we've had to drive the bus and trailer everywhere to complete our everyday chores (hospitals, supermarkets etc). We've also spent many days camped out of town, playing the waiting game, parked up in dusty gravel pits beside noisy highways and railway lines.

After a lot of effort, we have finally got Percy Prado sorted here in Tom Price (seemingly) and are hopefully back on track. We've spent the past week exploring what we can of the incredible Karijini NP in Bronte the bus (lots of bumpy and dusty roads for our poor old house on wheels). And now with Percy Prado back on deck, we are planning to explore some of the more off-road locations in this breathtakingly beautiful national park. I've posted a couple of shots of my favourite Karijini waterfall over at @keiranlusk and have many more photos to share yet!

#buslife #ontheroad #fulltimerv #travelwithkids

Sometimes we end up staying in the quirkiest of pl

Sometimes we end up staying in the quirkiest of places! We managed to spend three whole weeks free camping in Broome. This was one of our favourite spots. With caravan parks full to overflowing (seriously) and most of them unaffordable for us, we had to get a little bit creative with where we stayed each night. It was a lot of work each day, packing down and moving the bus, but we had to stick around Broome for some medical appointments (child with broken arm and chipped tooth) and some very delayed mail. We're looking forward to finding somewhere to stop and set up for a while in the not too distant future!

#buslife #skoolie #travelwithkids

Soothe your mind with this very short film featuri

Soothe your mind with this very short film featuring Ikara / Flinders Ranges National Park and surrounds. We spent two weeks exploring this spectacular place earlier in the year and it is now one of our favourite places in Australia.

This is Adnamathyna Country.

@southaustralia | @australia

#seesouthaustralia #seeaustralia #flindersranges #ikara #buslife #skoolie #busconversion

(Please note: It is an offence to fly drones in South Australia's National Parks. All drone footage in this video was captured outside the boundaries of the national park.)

Golden sunsets over the ocean are simply the best

Golden sunsets over the ocean are simply the best in Rubibi (Broome).

This is Yawuru Country.

It's a most spectacular coastline near Walmadany (

It's a most spectacular coastline near Walmadany (James Price Point), WA.

Located just north of Broome, this is Jabirr Jabirr and Ngombal Country.

#seeaustralia #thisiswa #broome

The incredible colours of Yawuru Nagulagun / Roebu

The incredible colours of Yawuru Nagulagun / Roebuck Bay Marine Park. That's me and Percy Prado taking a break on the iconic red dirt that flanks the coastline here. This beautiful place is located near Rubibi (Broome).

This is Yawuru Country.

Greetings from Rubibi (Broome). This is Yawuru Cou

Greetings from Rubibi (Broome). This is Yawuru Country.

We've been chugging around here for a couple of weeks now. The town is full to overflowing with tourists at the moment and the van parks are either booked out, unaffordable or have no room for big rigs like us. We've managed to fly under the radar and find some free places to camp (a challenging mission in Broome) but it hasn't been easy.

Whilst Broome has been incredibly busy, you don't have to drive too far to escape the crowds. And the surrounding coastline is even more spectacular than I ever imagined it to be!

In between beach adventures we've been dealing with a few mechanical issues for the car and bus, hospital visits for a child with a broken arm and a chipped tooth (he's fine now), and lost work opportunities for me due to border restrictions. But we are grateful every day for where we find ourselves right now.

Sending love to all those currently affected by lockdowns and border restrictions across Australia. Stay safe everyone.

🙂 Keiran

A highway rest area somewhere between Halls Creek

A highway rest area somewhere between Halls Creek and Fitzroy Crossing last night. Although we regularly post about our travels on social media, we are very much a family of introverts (except possibly for Master Seven). So it's always really exciting to stumble upon a rest area that we can claim all for ourselves! It was a most quiet and peaceful night. 😁🙂

#nomads #buslife #travel #introvert #rv #skoolie #busconversion #skoolieconversion #roadtrip #australia

Percy the Prado tackling the iconic Ivanhoe Crossi

Percy the Prado tackling the iconic Ivanhoe Crossing near Kununurra a few days ago. Another fun 4wd river crossing experience!

#roadtrip #travelaustralia #4wd #4x4 #ivanhoecrossing #kununurra #buslife #seeaustralia #westernaustralia #magickimberley #thekimberleyaustralia #adventure #abcmyphoto #travelgatewayau

Sunset views at El Questro. We've been exploring t

Sunset views at El Questro. We've been exploring this spectacular part of The Kimberley for much of the past week. This is Balanggarra and Nyaliga Country. What a very special place.

#magickimberley #thekimberleyaustralia #seeaustralia #westernaustralia #travel #outback #elquestro #kununurra

The spectacular and vibrant colours of the ochre p

The spectacular and vibrant colours of the ochre pits near Lyndhurst. This is 𝗞𝘂𝘆𝗮𝗻𝗶 country. Aboriginal peoples have mined and traded the ochres from this special place for tens of thousands of years. This photo is from a few months ago (I have so many images that I'm still sorting through!).
⠀
#ochre #kuyani #southaustralia #seeaustralia #roadtrip #australia #buslife #busconversion #skoolie

Life in Western Australia ain't too bad! We found

Life in Western Australia ain't too bad! We found a nice little spot to cool down after a 35 degree Celcius day in Kununurra today. It was very much a reward for getting our chores done (doing some supermarket shopping and washing four months worth of mud, dust and grime off Bronte the bus).

#buslife #travelwithkids #westernaustralia #seeaustralia #kununurra

We've finally made it to @westernaustralia! It was

We've finally made it to @westernaustralia! It was a long five hour wait to get through the checkpoint tonight, but we didn't mind at all. The WA border reopened to NT travellers yesterday (after being closed for a couple of weeks). We were lucky to be able to relax in our own home as we waited for the long line of cars and trucks and caravans to slowly snake their way towards the checkpoint. It was quite surreal to be stuck in a traffic jam in the middle of nowhere! But we have no complaints and are most happy to play our part in helping to keep WA safe. Can't wait to explore this amazing state!

#buslife #nomads #travel #aroundaustralia #westernaustralia #kununurra #australia #covid #vanlife #

Way back when we visited Coober Pedy earlier this

Way back when we visited Coober Pedy earlier this year. What a fascinating place!

#cooberpedy #southaustralia #buslife #skoolie #busconversion #roadtrip #nomads

Kanku. Traditional country of the Antakirinja Matu

Kanku. Traditional country of the Antakirinja Matuntjara Yankunytjatjara people. One of the many highlights from our travels through South Australia a few months ago.

#kanku #cooberpedy #southaustralia #seeaustralia #buslife #roadtrip

Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge. This is Jawoyn Country

Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge. This is Jawoyn Country. A most beautiful place to visit.

#nitmiluk #ntaustralia #seeaustralia #katherine #jawoyn #travelwithkids #exploreaustralia

Sunset at the servo in Katherine last night. It wa

Sunset at the servo in Katherine last night. It was very much an admin day yesterday. Sam continued working hard on our home school reports (due soon) and I spent the day working on the bus. Bronte the bus has developed a troublesome coolant leak recently, so I spent the day wrestling with stubborn old radiator hoses (which I replaced) and patching a badly corroded joiner pipe (until we can get a replacement part). I also had to invent a temporary fix (using cable ties and a hammer tap or two) for a broken tension rod on the gear linkage (which causes us to lose 5th and 6th gears occasionally). Hopefully I can source a part for that in Katherine (or the internet) next week. So this was sunset after a long hot day, before we drove to a nice little free bush camp for the night. Today we're planning a rest day and are looking forward to some walking and swimming in Nitmiluk National Park (Jawoyn country) again.

#buslife #ontheroad #busconversion #skoolie #roadtrip #australia #katherine

Load More... Follow on Instagram